Willem-Alexander hears from children at Leersum asylum centre

King Willem-Alexander visited a school inside the asylum-seeker reception centre in Leersum on Tuesday, where children gave him letters describing their concerns, including separation from family members.

Eleven-year-old Lavania, who is from Iraq and has not seen her parents for three years, handed the King a folder of letters. “I asked in my letter whether the King could do something about that,” she told journalists, according to Nieuws.nl.

About 50 children who live at the centre attend WereldKidz de Hoogstraat primary school. Headteacher Bea van der Garde told the King that pupils often remain at the reception-centre school for longer than before, partly because they wait longer for a decision on their residence permits. Some are also waiting for parents who remain abroad, she said.

Van der Garde said the children had little prospect of knowing what would happen next. Although they could seem cheerful while playing and learning, she said, some were sad at home. The King told her he could feel her “passion and despair”.

The children also gave him letters and drawings to read at home in the palace. Later, he took part in a discussion about the reception centre with volunteers, local residents, employers and politicians. He called the visit “a lovely day” and said it had been educational for him.